Mumbai: Megastar Shah Rukh Khan, who took a break, is back from hiatus and shooting his next film Pathan. The actor last appeared in Aanand l Rai’s film Zero which didn’t perform well at the box office. The actor had recently also resumed shooting for the much-anticipated espionage drama Pathan. According to a tabloid, the actor is planning for another release in the year 2022 as Pathan will be his comeback film in the first half of 2022. while his film with Atlee or Rajkumar hirani is expected in the latter half and might release in Diwali or Christmas opening. however, with the current Covid scenario, things are still dicey and no one can plan things in advance. But if the situation becomes stable enough and things go smoothly according to plans, then surely we could expect the megastar to delight his fans twice in 2022. Recently, the actor has also begun the shoot for a sequence of Pathan in Yash Raj Studios Mumbai and will be heading to europe next if the situation gets under control. —

WASHINGTON: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the list of 395 artists and executives that have been invited to join this year. Bollywood actor Vidya Balan and producers Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor are among the new list of invitees of the Academy’s ‘Class Of 2021’.

Other newcomers include Oscar winners Yuh-Jung Youn, Emerald Fennell and Florian Zeller. Celebrities like Andra Day, Henry Golding, Vanessa Kirby, Robert Pattinson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have also been invited to join this year. The Academy announced the names of the 395 invitees on their website. Their tweet read, “It’s time to announce our new members! Meet the Class of 2021. #WeAreTheAcademy.”

The Academy recognised Vidya for some of her iconic films such as the 2012 mystery thriller ‘Kahaani’ and the 2017 family drama ‘Tumhari Sulu’.

Vidya’s acting credits also include movies like ‘Paa’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, ‘Parineeta’, ‘Bobby Jasoos’, ‘The Dirty Picture’, ‘Shakuntala Devi’, among several others.

Meanwhile, producers Ekta and her mother Shobha, who own the production house Balaji Telefilms, have been recognised by the Academy for bankrolling films such as ‘Dream Girl’, ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbai’, ‘Udta Punjab’ and Vidya’s ‘The Dirty Picture’.

Eight people have been invited to join multiple branches of the Academy. These include Leslie Odom Jr, Florian Zeller, Shaka King, Alexander Nanau, Emerald Fennell, Lee Isaac Chung, Craig Brewer, and Kaouther Ben Hania.

This year, the Academy has invited 395 people, about half the number of last year’s class, when it invited 819 members, reported Variety. The Academy said in a statement, “To enable steady future growth and to ensure the necessary infrastructure, staff resources and environment to support all Academy members, the number invited to membership was limited to roughly half that of recent years.”

NEW DELHI: Tisca Chopra went out to the suburban Mumbai theatres this morning and distributed 1500 kgs of rice packets to theater workers.

Talking of this drive, Tisca Chopra says, “We all know how theatres have been shut. It’s been almost a year and a half. The single-screen theatres have faced the major brunt of the same. In normal times these theatres are the hubs of the social life in that area – perhaps the only sources of entertainment for people living around there. The workers end up becoming friends with the customers coming in every weekend for a movie. And these theater workers have been out of work for this whole time. I felt we must reach out in whatever way we can and thus we decided to take this up as a part of our initiative. If each one of us comes out and help, we may be able to curb the suffering around us a little, at least in terms of food and basics. Whether it is a small or a big help, it doesn’t matter.”

Tisca Chopra plans to reach out to theatre workers all over who’ve been out of work throughout the pandemic via her initiative Tisca’s Table. “We have got tons of rice to share with people in need. It is a staple in this area. It is shared with us very kindly by the India Gate Basmati team. At this time we felt that Tisca’s Table needed to put food on tables of actual people where they might not be able to afford them right now,” adds Tisca.

Q. You are a glorious global sensation earning the unique tag of a spiritual urban yogi devotional singer, share with us your fairytale storybook?

That’s very kind! Who comes up with all these tags? That’s all they are, tags, and as a soul, my story continues to unfold in unexpected ways. Some fantastical and some thought-provoking. Being spiritual is a constant quest, and whilst I am very grateful to be able to have learnt Vedanta and studied Philosophy so I can offer some insight, we are all students in life and those who preach probably need to learn the most. My life is anything but a fairytale — as a teenager, I had this fixed notion of how I expected my life to turn out and certain milestones I would effortlessly reach. My life hasn’t panned out like that, to some people I have achieved a lot but I feel behind in so many ways. My fairytale is to live in grace and accept this moment for what it is. Each turn in our life represents an opportunity for us to evolve. The good and bad experiences are chapters, and the fairytale resides in our ability to find our contentment in the chaos.

Q. You emphasise Spirituality 2.0, a guide for modern-day practices for millennials like yourself. Tell us more about it?

Spirituality 2.0 is about simplifying spiritual practices and creating achievable targets in your daily life. Controlling your social media usage, spending five minutes calling an elderly family member and showing you care, writing in a gratitude book, taking time out for meditation and most importantly being careful whom you associate with. Now, through social media, you can become ‘friends’ with almost anyone but make sure you have positive influences in your life and focus inward. Remember in Shakespeare’s play, Iago brought the downfall of a great leader like Othello. In the ‘Mahabharat’, Karna’s association with Duryodhana cost him his life. Keep your circle small, we do not need to be popular, we need to earn respect. There is a lot of distraction outside of us, quickly weed out anything that doesn’t serve a higher purpose.

Q. You’re a stunning spiritual yogi who has managed to shine and be supremely impactful in a male-dominated world. What are your views on this?

I have nothing to do with being stunning. I come from very attractive parents, 100% of people who know me would argue my mother is far more beautiful and my dad is a blue-eyed Indian so that says it all. I am mediocre in comparison. You have to shine from within, and if you are a woman, you make sure you fight the good fight for your place on the world stage. Why are spiritual/religious preachers predominantly male? I don’t get it, and when I don’t get something, I go after it and change it. 

Q. You follow and look up to all the classic admired masters and gurus, Morani Bapu, Sister Shivani of Brahma Kumaris, Swami Ji Chidanand Saraswati of Parmath Niketan Ashram. How have their teachings benefited you in your varied career choices, as we add in a motivational speaker and a talented writer?

It’s really simple, Morari Bapu teaches you ‘satya, prem and karuna’, truth, love and compassion. I try to imprint those three words in my mind and live by them. He is a fantastic orator and uses humour and storytelling to engage his audience. Sister Shivani teaches you the power of positive thoughts and taking ownership of your own feelings and emotions. Her style of teaching is very logical which is what I love. Swami Ji of Parmarth Niketan teaches you to talk less and do more, just look at his clean up Ganga initiative. Preaching, motivating, writing, is not enough — you need to back them up in action. With all these spiritual/religious influences, I gravitated to devotional music and the rest was a natural transition.

Q. What advice can you give future thought leaders and visionary’s with dreams and stars in their eyes yet battling with the Covid world we reside in?

Covid-19 pandemic won’t be forever, use this time to work on yourself. I spent seven months living alone and I created a tightly disciplined day for myself that enriched my body, mind and intellect. Don’t wallow in self-pity because it’ll waste your time, which is so very precious. Every time you feel you ‘cant’ do something, think what you ‘can’ do and run with it, you never know what will manifest. I would also add you can’t plan to be a thought leader. Just be authentic, fearless and true to yourself and others. That authenticity makes you extremely unique and attractive to the world, this will open doors without you having to even push. Also, give up caring what people think — if you live your life by the standards of others, you will never reshape the world. Be bold enough to trust yourself. Lastly, continuously educate yourself. That doesn’t mean just reading about successful leaders but observing everyday life. I love watching my peonies bloom, I smile as they slowly unfurl a little more every day, no rush, no fuss but perfectly timed with their internal rhythm. There is perspective in everything. 

Consumption of music has changed fundamentally since the pandemic began. The popularity of streaming platforms has surged through the roof, as we stay cooped up in our homes with no access to live concerts, restaurants or cinema halls. Apart from their many benefits, one decided advantage of streaming platforms is the access they give us to the wide range of talented indie artists across genres. 

In this difficult period, indie artists have also flourished, using the extra time on hand to create great-quality music more frequently than earlier. Unfortunately, with people’s reduced attention spans, album releases are no longer a feasible commercial option. Singles have become the easiest and best way forward. A few prolific musicians and artists have created numerous singles in the last year, creating a body of work that can easily be compiled into a single presentation — bringing back the concept of the ‘EP’. 

An EP is an extended play record that contains more tracks than a single, but fewer than an album or long play record (LP). Nowadays, EPs usually consist of four or five tracks, making them less expensive and time-consuming to produce, in comparison to albums. There has been a resurgence in the release of EPs in 2020-21, with the latest one being ‘Escape’, released by Canada-based Music Producer Asad Khan aka Khanvict, on 11 June.

He says, “Three to four tracks of the EP were released as singles but there is an overall sense of cohesion between the tracks that were chosen for this project. Not many people listen to a longer body of work as often as they used to before the DSP age, so we kept that in mind when designing strategy. That said, I would love to do a full length album at some point in the near future — something that tells a story from top to bottom!”

‘Escape’ is an amalgamation of Electronic, World, Bass, South Asian, EDM, Desi, and Folktronic genres, and has been released under the Snakes x Ladders label. The title of this EP is directly inspired by Khan’s series of weekly live streams on Twitch called ‘Escape’, which attracted up to 2,500 viewers on Friday nights. It was clear to him that everyone was looking for an escape from the situation they were collectively part of, and good music was the answer.

“Escape has been in the works for about a year and a half. Each song was its own unique process and story. The overall vision was to step up the sound design, and quality of the sound. I love high-fidelity, rich sound and getting my tracks closer to that was important for me on this project. I’m happy with how it has turned out,” he says excitedly.

‘Escape’ offers six tracks, some of which are results of collaborations. ‘Impedance’ is Khan’s collaboration with LA-based Raaginder and ‘Kingdom’ with Amritha Shakti. He met her backstage at a festival in New York City in 2019, but the song was conceptualised, written and recorded remotely during the pandemic. The track ‘Something Worth Protecting’, is a collaboration with Tej aka ‘The Lost Strings’. “There has to be some synergy as humans first — a real connection — that creates a vibe which leads to successful collaborations,” says Khan who believes that working with other artists brings a unique perspective on board.

With a million streams on Spotify and his recent release, ‘Closer’, getting upwards of 12 lakh plays on YouTube, the year has been very successful for Khan. Hailing the power of perseverance, he says, “people need to recognise that all good things take time to build. Steady and consistent effort over years will yield results no matter what your natural talent level may be. Work ethic and consistency are more important than natural talent, in my opinion. And last but not least, a team matters – find people who believe in you and want you to achieve your goals and dreams. I have an amazing team at Snakes x Ladders, that is a force behind each release and project,” he says.

If you are looking for high-quality music as a means of escape or just for entertainment, check out Khanvict’s EP ‘Escape’, currently streaming on all major platforms.

The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.

The year that went past has taught us the importance of being vocal for local and adopting sustainable practices. Fortunately, a few ‘woke’ citizens had begun this crusade well before the pandemic, paving the way for others to follow. Through her homegrown brand of clothing, ‘Chidiyaa’, Pooja Rajput is doing exactly this.  

 Crafted by hand in the villages of Ajrakhpur in Gujarat and Phulia in Bengal, the label is heavily inspired by nature, sustainable practices and the ideals of simplicity. Through its collections, Chidiyaa aims to revive the art form of block printing, hand-spun and handwoven silk and linen sarees among other textile and craft designs. 

Its founder Rajput says, “I have always been creative, and I love visiting bazaars and dastakars in small villages to explore the root of traditional handicrafts and techniques. I trace the roots of Chidiyaa to my love of creativity. A Computer Engineer by education, I have no formal training in fashion, but despite the successes of my corporate career, I knew that my calling was elsewhere. One fine day, I decided to follow my passion and Chidiyaa began.”

For Rajput, Chidiyaa is an emotion that communicates the beauty of life and is an extension of her personality. It reflects her love of nature, simple yet beautiful life experiences and positivity. Aware that to successfully practice sustainability one must make it a way of life, Rajput adopted eco-friendly practices from the very beginning. Fortunately, more people are realising this truth and embracing it readily. Chidiyaa’s designs encourage slow fashion, by creating high-quality garments with unique yet wearable designs that stand the test of time. Best of all, the clothes are easy on the pocket. 

“We are blessed and extremely grateful for the love and acceptance we have received from our clients, as well as the constant support of our artisans. We strive to keep doing our best, experimenting with designs, fabrics and continue being the best version of ourselves,” shares Rajput with a smile, when asked about the popularity of the brand in a short time. 

Apart from a loyal clientele that spread the word about Chidiyaa’s designs, a host of celebrities have also favoured this label. Bollywood stalwarts such as Ratna Pathak Shah, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Tillotima Shome, and Kiran Rao, among others, have worn their designs in the past and appreciated their work and its intent. “My design philosophy is that traditional is beautiful, and I have always preferred the understated and subtle, less-is-more approach. We use very simple yet striking designs made using only one or two motifs, that reflect our vision of the earth. It comes with a relatability factor and shared ideologies that make the brand resonate with the taste of the wearer,” Rajput says with pride. Besides celebrities, the ethnic wear label is favoured by India’s swish set that wears their orientation and choices on their sleeve. Their customers include men who wear sarees as lungis, gender-fluid people who elegantly drape them, brides who choose handwoven sarees for their big day, and artists who don appealing and comfortable dresses while creating their art. To cash in on this popularity, Chidiyaa recently launched their ‘Leave the Door Open’ campaign, which highlighted unique stories of individuals from varied walks of life. “Through the campaign, the idea was to bring in hope, inspire and acknowledge one of a kind stories while showcasing that the door of opportunities and growth is always wide open. We worked with a 65-year-old female entrepreneur who started her business during the pandemic, a woman who runs a successful podcast on beer, one who started a campsite in the hills due to her love for nature, an oral historian who co-founded the material museum of memory, India’s female basketball team captain, and a drag queen among others. We loved the idea of such powerful women coming together from different fields and communicating Chidiyaa’s philosophy to the world,” shares Rajput. 

Lending a contemporary touch to traditional handicrafts of India is the USP of Chidiyaa’s designs. The design philosophy encourages experimentation with fabrics, prints and techniques. At present, the art of block printing has been their strongest medium of expression. Crediting the artisans as the real strength of her brand, Rajput calls them part of the Chidiyaa family. 

There is no on-ground physical store, yet Chidiyaa has built a loyal clientele around India and the world. They retail exclusively through their independent, online website chidiyaa.com, and before the pandemic, regularly displayed their work through various events, exhibitions and pop-ups around the country. 

The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.